2016 Pre-Budget Consultations Achieve Highest-Ever Turn Out

In a speech to the Surrey Board of Trade today, Finance Minister
Bill Morneau announced that tens of thousands of Canadians have engaged and
shared their thoughts through meetings, events and through online channels – the
highest-ever turnout for pre-budget consultations on record.

Today’s speech concluded the Minister’s portion of a cross-Canada
pre-budget consultation tour to solicit Canadians’ views on how best to support
the middle class, grow the economy, and create long-term prosperity for all
Canadians.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
François-Philippe Champagne is also hosting a series of pre-budget consultations
across Canada. His tour will end in Yellowknife on January 17.

In all, 14 cities were part of the official tours, and Members of
Parliament from across Canada also held pre-budget consultations within their
communities in an effort to engage Canadians in the lead-up to Budget 2016.

In addition, Canadians have been actively participating through
various digital channels. Launched on January 6, 2016, the online consultation
website has already received 2,000 official submissions from individuals and
groups, including a single-day boost of over 500 submissions on January 14
alone.

A Google Hangout and two separate Facebook Live chats with various Canadian universities drew in
tens of thousands of Canadians who tuned in live to hear the
Minister respond to questions.

Canadians are encouraged to continue this dialogue by sending their
comments and ideas via the website http://www.budget.gc.ca/pbc16/, or comment
via Twitter using #PBC16. These channels will remain open to Canadians in the
coming weeks.

Quick Facts

The consultations officially began on January 6 via Google Hangout with eight
Canadian universities.

Over the course of his six-day tour, the Minister of Finance hosted upwards of 19
separate meetings and roundtables with stakeholders and Canadians.

When his tour concludes Sunday, the Parliamentary Secretary will have hosted 7
additional roundtables.

The Minister spoke to full capacity crowds at the Halifax Chamber of Commerce,
Montreal’s Council on Foreign Relations, and the Surrey Board of Trade, with a
total attendance of well over 1000 people.

Since launching the online consultations, over 2,000 submissions have been made by
Canadian individuals and organizations – and thousands more continue to reach
out through Twitter, using the hashtag #PBC16.

Two separate Facebook Live events hosted by Dalhousie University
and the University of Calgary respectively gave nearly 80,000 Canadians an
opportunity to submit questions to the Minister and view the town hall live.

Quote

“We were elected on a plan to grow the economy, but we know we don’t have all the answers. That’s why we asked
Canadians to come to the table and share their ideas. Today, I am far more enlightened than I was six days ago, but most of all, profoundly
grateful for the positive feedback I’ve been receiving from Canadians across our
great country. To the tens of thousands of you who have added your voice, I wish
to say: Message received.”